Wednesday

Mar 6, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Perhaps “The Lion King,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” should all be looking over their shoulder.

Those are some of the longest running shows in theater history. But there in the rearview mirror, they may spy an unlikely upstart: a “newcomer” who’s been around, off and on, since 1992. It’s director Stephen Daldry’s enduring British production of “An Inspector Calls.”

“I can see why it’s had that longevity,” says Liam Brennan, who doesn’t alter his native Scottish accent when he plays the pivotal role of Inspector Goole. “I really like the play. I love the mystery of it. I love that the audience can leave the theater and ask questions of each other and debate the play’s fundamental question. And it’s a thriller. People always seem to enjoy a good thriller.”

Apparently. The show touts itself as “the longest running revival of a play in history, seen by over 4 million theatergoers worldwide.”

The play’s impressive tally of performances will grow by 14 when it stops in Boston. ArtsEmerson brings “An Inspector Calls” to the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, March 14-24.

Written by J.B. Priestley in 1945, the play is set at the home of the wealthy Birling family. Arthur and Sybil Birling are hosting a dinner party, as their daughter prepares for her marriage into another prominent family. That’s when an inspector calls. Inspector Goole announces that he’s investigating the death of a young woman, and slowly the foundation of this privileged family begins to shift and fail.

Not only is the plot a mystery, so is the Inspector. And Brennan says that makes him a fun character to play.

“When he first arrives, he’s treated somewhat dismissively, like he’s probably just some annoying policeman on the beat who’s made a mistake,” says Brennan. “But then the family begins to realize that he’s got a lot of strange information, and he’s not going away.”

In short, he’s Robert Mueller. Like the special counsel investigating Russian intervention into U.S. elections, he’s better-informed than the people he’s interviewing, and he’s relentless.

He also has a knack for keeping witnesses off balance, and Brennan says it’s fun to play that aspect of the character.

“I’m Scottish, and I play the role in my own voice,” he says. “I like the idea that the Inspector is somewhat alien and different. It’s one of the ways he makes the other characters feel uncomfortable.”

The show has been Brennan’s ticket to ride. With his lovely Scottish accent, he’s speaking on the phone from the show’s current tour stop in Chicago, a long way from his hometown on the west coast of Scotland. He pops back into this show every now and again, joining the cast for its second stint in London’s West End, and now reappearing for this tour of the U.S.

Since he’s played the Inspector so many times, Brennan appreciates the fact that he gets some level of flexibility as an actor.

“They allow you to bring a certain amount of freshness to the role,” he says. “But at the same time, you have to remember: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

And this show ain’t broke.

In addition to its long run, “An Inspector Calls” piled up awards on both sides of the Atlantic. It won three Olivier Awards, four Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards.

Asked about the difference between British and American audiences, Brennan says patrons in the United States “are a bit quicker to laugh, which is lovely. Although it’s a thriller, there is also some humor. And we get more laughter than we got in the U.K.”

Brennan also believes that audiences everywhere respond to the way director Daldry paced the show.

“It’s an hour and 45 minutes without an interval,” he says. “It moves fast.”

Critics also appreciate Daldry’s emphasis on the political relevance of the play, which was written at the end of World War II. Observers have also noted that it feels timely. The production has seen five different U.S. presidents, and it’s perhaps more pertinent now than ever.

“Hey, we’re in no position to talk,” he says. “We’re in the middle of the madness that is Brexit. So we’re all in this craziness together.”

Patrons may welcome the message of the play at a time when egomaniacal tyrants are all the rage.

“The Inspector has this short speech at the end,” when he’s addressing this wealthy family, says Brennan. “It’s an exhortation for not taking your good fortune for granted, and the need to look after those who are less fortunate. The play raises some fundamental questions about the need to look after each other, the need to be kind to each other. That’s a good message. And it’s eternal.”

'An Inspector Calls'

Presented by ArtsEmerson

WHEN: March 14-24

WHERE: Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston

TICKETS: $49-$149 with senior, group, and student discounts available

INFO: 617-824-8400; artsemerson.org

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